Intro Log: February

[faileas]

Intro Log: February

I. ARRIVAL Out of nowhere, a glint of light catches your eye; your heart thunders in your ears as your body moves on its own, your mind consumed with inspecting the source. Your reflection stares back at you, just as curious from the surface - a mirror, a pool of water, your most trusted sword, something fleeting that your mind can barely remember - then ripples at your touch. A moment later, you feel a tug, and you find yourself stumbling into a dark, musty room. Behind you, a mirror stands ornately decorated with reminders of home wrought in brass and wood: the faces of people you know, and symbols important to you; all things that send a pang through your chest with the desire to return to them. Touching the mirror's surface does nothing but leave the stain of your fingerprints. When you turn to survey the room, you find there are hundreds of other mirrors. None of them are as decorated as yours - they're plain and dusty, speckled with age. Then you realize a second thing: You're not alone. Distantly, the ringing bell of a clocktower can be heard. But no matter its distance, the time is clear to make out: it chimes three times, stark, resonating like a pulse of something in this mirrored hall that you and many others have found yourselves in. For those familiar with magic, they might feel the power of the witching hour upon them, though it will feel different from what they're used to - in fact, everything does. You're certainly not the only ones here, however. On the first floor, with the doors wide open behind them in the foyer, is a small group headed by two individuals. As people begin to arrive, to come from the higher floor, they're waiting - and they're waiting for you, and your questions. Explore the rest of the mirrored halls you've now found yourselves in, or proceed to the foyer? Leaving the Looking-Glass House makes it obvious that the clock striking three was for 3 AM - the night sky is faintly cloudy, but the stars are dim in the face of two moons, even so close to the new moon as it is. The Looking-Glass House is rather nondescript two-story cottage made of grey brick, sitting at the edge of The Coven's courtyard; stones which glow as you step on them mark the path to and from the two buildings. While fairly small and plain on the outside, the inside has been enchanted to be the size of a large library, with hundreds upon hundreds of mirrors hanging, standing, and resting inside its walls. Some are broken, some are cracked, and some seem completely uninjured - but all of them are just as plain as the cottage itself, showing age in the silver beneath their glass and in the greening of their metals... Well, all except a character's personal mirror; to characters, one mirror - the one they came through - will be decorated lavishly with metal-and-wood-wrought reminders of home, and the surface will be as clear as a brand-new mirror.

II. THE WELCOME PARTY Whether you've decided to find a way out of the building you've arrived in, or decided to explore the rest of the Looking-Glass House - and perhaps finding a few familiar faces among the crowd - you feel a pull towards the foyer of the first floor. It's like a firm suggestion, as if to take you by the hand and draw you to where it begins, and the source of it becomes quite apparent upon finding one's way to the front room: a tall, comfortably-dressed older woman and her even taller wolfish companion, along with those which feel to resemble yourselves in a world-traversing sense: Mirrorbound, they're called. "There's always a right lot of you coming in, aren't there." The woman sets her hands on her hips, with her Bonded casting a glance at those looking confused - newly arrived - and those who may have followed them in to talk to the newest addition of their mirrorbound bunch. "About time for introductions though- this here's Mhairi Ainsley, ambassador to the Parliament and my Bonded, and I'm Nerissa Bell, Head Witch of the Coven - but you can just call me Miss Nessie, you can," she adds, winking. "The lot of you must be as tired and confused as the last batch - hullo to those who've joined us, too! - so just a moment, dearests, I'll set all you right up—" With nothing more than a wave of her hand, rows of seats are summoned; despite their wooden nature, they're all sturdy and comfortable, filling the foyer and spreading out a ways into the lawn behind them, making room for all of the new arrivals as well as the previous batch. After all, they'll find this just as interesting. The Witches and Monsters that accompanied Nessie and Mhairi move to make room, and some disperse into the building itself to see if there's anyone who needs tending to. Mhairi steps forward as the chairs materialize. "Please, those who are able, join us for a moment. There are many questions that I'm sure you have - we will do our utmost best to answer them, and you may take any that we can't as a promise to find some sort of solution or answer." NOTE: If you wish to interact with Nessie and Mhairi, please comment here. You have the option of handwaving the IC interaction to OOCly ask what questions your character might have for them, or for us to summarize an answer. Simply specify in your comment's subject and we'll respond accordingly. For those that'd like a more player-based interaction, Aefenglom has its own Welcome Wagon under the same header! These are players who've volunteered for the role, and those that didn't sign up may assist as well if they'd feel their character would -- have fun, and make friends. Additionally, those with notable injuries or sickness will be attended to ASAP by Coven-based witches, and should anyone be curious about what they are - if they have magic potential, or if they swing a different way - then this can be done during this and the general hour or so the new arrivals are within the Coven's grounds. There are ongoing classes on magic, monsters, and Bonding as well, though they take place more during the day than at night - feel free to have your characters attend them at any time!

III. THE HAVEN After an hour or two of general chaos, questions that the natives attempt to help with, and injuries tended to for those who arrive in poor condition, it's time to make a trek to where you'll be staying while Nessie and Mhairi continue to search for a solution to the situation. As you're leaving with a few Bonded for guides, peculiar-looking devices - watches, the native Witches explain, compliments of Parliament - are passed around to all the new arrivals; they're given a quick rundown on their functions and bid to test them out when they can. They can even do it as they make their way out of the Coven's courtyard and to the Haven. Formerly part of the Aristocratic District, The Haven is just as well-kept and brightly-lit as the district it hails from. The houses err on the tall and ornamental-side, large enough to fit several families (or, according to the upper class, their one family, several dozen servants, and guests), especially closest to the Aristocratic District. They become a little more modest and smaller as one gets away from the realm of high society and nearer to the Residential District proper. Newcomers are shuffled here and invited to find somewhere to live - the Coven is currently handling expenses for the houses themselves in a program implemented by the Parliament, though if your character wishes to have anything extra - like maids, chefs, and so on - they'll have to pay for them themselves with their own earned money. Much of the landscape and fixtures are the same as in the Aristocratic Districts, though it lacks formal emergency services due to its roots as part of a district that already did. Much of the housing already has furnishing due to the speed at which homeowners were relocated; they were given enough time to collect their valuables, but standard furniture such as kitchenware, couches, beds, etc. were left behind for those moving in. Other houses appear the same, but the dust on the floors suggest these houses were left before the new arrivals even showed up - a reminder that the Cwyld can strike just about anyone, regardless of standing. Another portion of this district has been opened up to the new arrivals: the barracks, the row of buildings pressed against the very edge of the Bright Wall. As the city's military force no longer has the same presence it previously did, the barracks have gone into disuse, and a cleanup effort has been in place since before the new arrivals came through the Looking-Glass House. For those who desire something a little less opulent, the barracks might just be the answer. The barracks can also be used for business, for a welcome center, a communal space, for anything that the residents of the Haven see fit to use it for - so long as the legality isn't questionable, on the surface. To help with filling up the larger houses - and even some of the smaller ones, and the shared rooms in the barracks - the Witches put together a little roommate finding service, on a smaller scale from the grand opening of the Haven. For those who aren't entirely sure who they want to shack up with, they have a small survey for them to fill out and post on the board they've magicked up in the center of The Haven. The board also very helpfully reads aloud each form for everyone to hear in a cheerful, monotone voice. It isn't able to be shut up, nor is it easy to ignore, being imbued with a kind of amplification magic. It reads simply the information you've offered up yourself, or that someone might have written up for you, should that be their idea of fun.

IV. Faiolleach From the 1st to the 3rd of Feoveuer is the holiday of Faiolleach, a time of spring-cleaning and purification in preparation for the new solar year, of rebirth and youth. It comes at a fitting time, after the dark happenings of the previous month - happenings that most natives are not willing to discuss, except in hushed, sympathetic voices. It was horrible, you know, best to cast that negative energy out. They won't discuss the details, not being privy to them; that's for Mirrorbound to clue the new arrivals in on. Many who have been here longer, though, will notice that Mirrorbound do not receive such a negative response in the wealthier areas of town as they did before. The vast majority of citizens, wealthy elites included, are, at the very least, polite. Despite the storm cloud of the Rathmores' trial on the 3rd hanging over the city, citizens are trying to put on their cheerful faces to celebrate Faiolleach. Originally celebrating the arrival of the sun, it was represented by a daughter of heaven whose name has been lost to ages - many still leave small offerings of food and drink out to this mythical figure, believing it bad luck not to do so. This is mostly done by older natives; the younger generation brushes it off as superstition. They're much more excited about speed-dating parties set up around the city, and blind dating, encompassing the traits of good luck and fertility traditionally held by the holiday. a. Speed-Dating The popular Faiolleach trend among the youths of Aefenglom is speed-dating, normally held in small to mid-sized gatherings of similarly-aged humans and Monsters both. The parties are all independent, usually held at small restaurants or bars, or other local shops rented out for the occasion, and many try to out-do the others - different themes, costumes or dress codes, and magical gimmicks are present at different bashes. They all hold to a similar mechanic: party participants are encouraged to make the rounds and spend just a handful of minutes with each person, sharing information about themselves in order to determine compatibility, but the level of structure (casual to organized) and the types of icebreaker games differ wildly. Revelers in the streets are out to pull walk-in participation in whatever bash is going on nearby, but they back off easily if the person isn't interested. It's certainly not a required part of the holiday, but they're eager to see people having fun. Whatever a person's tastes or interests, it's probable they'll find a gathering to their liking; some are skewed more toward finding someone to Bond with or making a new friend rather than finding someone to date, while some held in the Red Light District are a little spicier, with lingerie or kink themes to their parties. Participation is all optional, but meeting new people, regardless of how, is highly encouraged. b. Bonfires After dark, on all three nights of Faiolleach, bonfires of different sizes are held, scattered around the city, the flames magically contained in circles of runes (to avoid more possible fire damage, with repairs still ongoing from last month). People gather around them to dance, sing folk songs, and share warming drinks with one another. Like the speed-dating parties, they vary wildly from area to area; some are folksy, all-ages affairs where grandmothers tut and offer hot chocolate to ward against the evening chill. A common children's and young adults' activity at these bonfires are decorating wands of white birch wood with ribbons and baubles, and using them in the group dances to create mesmerizing swirls of color and sparkle. Others, especially those in the Entertainment District, feature beautiful dancers of all species in fine silks and satins, performing dances that are a little more sultry. At the obviously-adults-only bonfires, the favorite drink passed around is alcoholic in nature, and lightly spiked with a potion to help the drinker lose some of their inhibitions and help them loosen up. These effects will be readily disclosed to anybody who is offered a cup, to let them choose for themselves - but hey, where's your sense of adventure? c. Light a Candle The 2nd of Feoveuer brings with it a more minor, but still well-loved tradition. As dusk falls, all candles in the city are lit, casting a warm glow from every window and on every street corner as the dark of night sets in. The flickering lights lining paths and shining in homes lend a more metaphorically-magical air to Aefenglom, bringing with it a sense of renewal and shared joy. Light a candle with loved ones and new bonds alike, and it's said to bring good fortune to your friendship or relationship. As the candles burn, several food vendors can be found selling a particular festival dish, a thin pancake topped with fruits, nuts, and cream, meant to be shared with someone by feeding it to them. For couples (or those pretending to be couples), often the vendors will offer the sweet treats for free with well-wishes for their future together.

V. Inkchanted For some time already this has been hailed as the opening day for Inkchanted, a Mirrorbound led tattoo parlor in the Harbor district that offers… well tattoos, but not normal tattoos: these are enchanted. It’s not a popular use of enchantment school, but it works nevertheless. With the use of special ink, runic spells are weaved into the tattoo’s design, which allows for various effects. For Witches, this can mean instant activation of spells without the need for chanting or gestures. Just run your magical energy through the design and the effect is instantaneous! For Monsters... that’s where things become interesting because Monsters also are granted use of that specific tattooed spell. The caveat is that the tattoo must be charged with Witch magic, or draw on magic stored in a sort of ‘battery’ they also have in the store. Said batteries are made of various jewelry or pendants, ranging from simple materials like copper and glass to more expensive made of silver and opals. Ink in the tattoos does not last forever, though; they will fade away entirely after reaching the limit of their use (which is said to be anywhere between 15-30 hours of continuous use, depending on the design’s size). A cheaper alternative to the tattoos are painted spells, with similar specialized paint to help them stick to the skin. Instead of a time limit, these have a limited number of uses and will disappear afterwards. That’s what it says on the paper, but a keen eye will notice that despite opening on the advertised day, there must have been some complications quite recently. There are signs of fire around the building, and any help with painting over them is greatly appreciated. Likewise, windows seem particularly new, and there are still shards of glass that could be found outside; anyone willing to help with this particular detail will be compensated by an old sailor named William who is renting the space to the young Mirrorbound, If asked what happened here recently, he becomes serious but tries to brush off the questions. When it becomes apparent that new Mirrorbound have appeared, the owners of the parlor scramble to find something for them to do, and thus end up encouraging a simple activity meant as practice for Witches and Monsters, both old and new. They offer a vast amount of magical energy batteries and encourage the Mirrorbound to form pairs, where one person fills the battery with magic, while the other attempts to siphon it out, cycling the energy this way. The only thing they ask is to have the batteries left fully filled. Soon, it turns out that the exercise might come with some side-effects, from getting memory-flashes of another person that used the battery, to sharing their emotional state or even simple thoughts. And should someone try and steal the magical battery… they might find themselves chased by one of the owners or… knocked right into the harbor’s water by a magical ward placed on the entrance if they don’t have a way to counter it! Note: More on this player-run business and its owners can be found on the Locations page! Big thanks to Shuu and Lena and co. for this prompt!

Welcome to the intro log! While mingling on the log itself is highly encouraged, feel free to make your own logs; take the prompts offered and go wild, go crazy, go stupid, have fun. The network system is free to use once characters have their watches as well; information on that can be found at the bottom of the Setting page, while any extra questions about it can be found in the FAQ index. Quests can be picked up now as well! While new characters will have to get settled in, you can go ahead and put your name on some by replying to the February's Quest Pickup thread on the Quest Board. Finally, if your character is getting into any Shenanigans, let the mods know and if you have any questions about the log, ask them here!

Comments

[lucubrates]

[ Retrieving the battery brings a shock to her, and Zelda nearly yelps. She pulls in a breath of air, hissing through her teeth. As she tries to focus, though, she feels a recollection strike her. The image of a boy with hair like this man's own. They'd be twins, but this boy's expression is sweet like candy. An infectious smile, if she ever saw one. Is this the person he wants to protect?

She focuses again. The memory of the battle at Fort Hateno's gates, at what had come to be known as the resting place for a plethora of Ancient Guardians fills her senses as the battery refills with her own magic; a boy accompanies Zelda in the rubble of a fight against giant monsters, and as one sets it's aim on the hero who seems to be knocking on death's door, she leaps into action. Warm light erupts from the memory Zelda's palm, illuminating the large area...

Her memory stops there. ]

[sneaksweet]

[When the battery comes back to him he's lost in the memory for a moment, before pulling out the magic.]

Who's that guy? [Quickly he realizes that doesn't clear anything up, and if this woman doesn't know what memory is in there, "that guy" is way too vague to give any explanation. The robot... monsters(?) were also weird but maybe this is the person she was picturing when she said "the person you most want to protect."] Blond haired guy with ears like yours? [You know. Elfy?]

[lucubrates]

[ ...She gets an idea of what kind of exercise this is, now. Okay. ]

Link... He is my knight, and Champion to my kingdom.

[ Which isn't much to go off of, admittedly. If he wants the details of her relationship with Link, Zelda keeps it to herself at the moment. ]

I saw something that I assume was your's, as well. The boy who looks like you with the brilliant smile... who is he?

[sneaksweet]

[For a second, he lost. Like him? His little brother only shares the same general hair color and bright gold eyes. But the second "brilliant smile" gets brought up he knows exactly who she's seen. It seems like this battery shares glimpses of their lives? Of all the things that could be shared, he's kind of glad it was only his family.

Juza's expression softens into a smile.]

My little brother. His name's Kumon. [Then it occurs to him he hasn't actually introduced himself yet. Somehow he always seems to flub something.] Mine's Juza.

Wait. Your kingdom? You're a queen? [She looks a little young for queen, but aren't elves like... very long lived? They age slowly? He's not as into fantasy books as his cousin, but he thinks that's the right lore.]

[lucubrates]

[ Infectious smiles must run in the family, Zelda thinks, as she sees him break out into one. It's nice to see, and a wave of relief relaxes over her. Perhaps their interaction had been a bit awkward at first, but now... there's common ground. ] Your brother's smile could light the night sky, Juza.

[ She thinks to introduce herself, but then he asks that and... well it is, admittedly, the perfect segue. But this is the first time someone had referred to her as such; technically... she supposes she is acting as such, back home. ] I... am Princess Zelda of Hyrule. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. I am no queen, but I... I shall lead my people out of the dark and into the light of a new age, where we can rebuild. Perhaps your thought process is not wrong, but there are technicalities.

[sneaksweet]

He's got an expressive face... but a smile suits him best. [With how warm his voice sounds, its clear they're close. There's a little flicker of something though. Right after the last run of Picturesque, he was planning on checking in on Kumon, but instead he ended up in Aefenglom. Robbed of the chance to see his little brother one more time because of a mirror.

Huh. He's never met royalty before and he doesn't really know how to conduct himself around them. There's a pause and a tilt of his head.] ... Should I call you Princess? [Politeness is a good thing, right?]

[lucubrates]

[ Zelda lacks siblings. As the only daughter of the royal family, she felt like Atlas carrying the world on his shoulders at times. She had never entertained the idea of having them before now, but seeing the expression on his face makes her think it might have been nice. ]

...Princess, if you'd like to be formal. However, I am Zelda. You may call me as such.

[ Theres no Hyrule here, admittedly. He doesn't need to do that. ]

Tell me... what's your brother like?

[sneaksweet]

[There's almost immediately relief when he's basically told he doesn't have to be formal. It's not one of his strong points and the adults he hangs around with are also rough in their speech.

A bit of tenseness drops away.] Zelda, then.

Kumon's nothing like me. He's cheerful and he makes friends easily. Everybody loves him. [And clearly his brother loves him too.] Kumon's got great communication skills and he's into sports. His favorite one's baseball.

[lucubrates]

[ The release of tension from him is palpable and Zelda understands. The weight of royalty has a way of affecting everyone around them; even her father had just been trying to act as a king. It tainted his role as a father, but when Juza seems to relax into their conversation, Zelda hopes she's not wrong in thinking it hasn't tainted her meeting with him. ]

Baseball? [ Parroting it doesn't help, admittedly. ] He sounds like a great younger brother. You're lucky... To have such a loving family. You and him both. [ She can see it in his mannerisms: He truly does adore his brother. ] You want to protect him?

[sneaksweet]

[It got resolved early enough that he'll be fine interacting with her in the future. He's still not sure how to treat royalty. Maybe like he treats the director? Like somebody who knows what their doing.]

It's... a sport where people hit balls with wooden sticks and run around a diamond. Sorry, that probably doesn't make much sense. I'm not sure they have it around here either, so it's kinda hard to describe. [Kumon could likely do it, but he's the one who's deep into baseball lore.]

Yeah. You know how I said he's nothin' like me? I get challenged to fights a lot, so I learned how to defend myself. I don't want him to have to deal with that.

[lucubrates]

[ Her expression hardens for a moment, as she takes this information in. Baseball or about Kumon? Who knows. ]

I see...

[ In that case, Zelda understands completely. But it's heart that shines through here; perhaps Juza thinks of himself as a bit of a delinquent? To Zelda, he sounds as noble as any of the guards at Hyrule Castle. ]

Is fighting a problem where you're from, then?

[sneaksweet]

Not for most people. I just... ended up with a reputation. [The kind that he definitely didn't want if Zelda's going off of his tone. There's nothing he can really do about it, besides continuing to defend himself.] Sometimes people try to prove themselves by fighting me.

[He's managed to drain the battery, but this time there's an image of a different teenager imprinted upon it. There's an odd blend of rivalry, respect and annoyance, as he hands it back to Zelda.]

[lucubrates]

[ Indeed, she takes the battery and retrieves what he's placed in it. At the mention of an unwanted reputation, she recalls something similar. Her hand is shaking when she takes it, this time, for she knows what memory might end up siphoned into the battery.

All the same, she fills it with what she imagines is holy light before handing it back to him. This time, he's greeted by a fleeting memory of Zelda and the knight, again, but they're confronted by someone who looks like as regal as she does. "...that you are the heir to a throne of nothing... nothing but failure." ]

I see. You must have a lot of pressure on you, Juza.

[sneaksweet]

[When he sees that flash of memory he wonders if it's more or less polite if he doesn't mention what he's just seen? This seems like a strange way to get to know somebody, but at the same time, it is what it is. The batteries just seem to draw in memories that surface.]

I... ["am fine with it" is not true and he knows it. The statement gets discarded before he even finishes the sentence.] I'm dealing with it. [He hasn't gotten into an actual fight in weeks, which is honestly an achievement for him.]

Seems like you do too.

[lucubrates]

[ Indeed, she catches the way he trails off and understands. That confirms her suspicions; it seems everyone has some kind of chip on their shoulder, but to be seated with a reputation that you did not want, one that you had no way to stop and affect... ]

It is the way of all the Princesses in my bloodline.

[ She just happened to be the most disappointing one. ]

I cannot deny that I've done my part, however... It would be a lie to say that I have not adapted.

[sneaksweet]

[If he had better communication skills, maybe things wouldn't have spiraled so wildly out of control. But as it is now, all he can do is deal with what everybody thinks of him. He's not sure if he can really prove them wrong, but he can at least pretend to be somebody else for a little while, every time he stands upon the stage.

Being born with the burden of responsibility, that seems worse to him. There's no control at all, and as much as she changed, nobody's going to forget her status.]

Adaptability's a good trait to have. Helps a lot when things start changing.

[lucubrates]

[ In her own case, it had been accepting the presence of others around her that brought her a better future, a better life. Zelda had grown to know people, grown to love them as much as they loved her. Urbosa had been the surrogate mother she needed, and Link had been her bridge to humanity. His thought that nobility is no light crown to wear is not wrong; it had brought her such upset through out her life that Zelda thought she might never live up to the expectations set for her.

As she regards him with a curious eye, Zelda smiles. ]

I am inclined to agree. It is resilience that builds the backbone for strength. A home cannot stand without pillars.

But... I believe that it is through our connections with others that we can better our lives.

[sneaksweet]

Bonds, huh...?

[Connections with others? Well... he doesn't think he can deny it, not after everything that's happened at home. It's nothing so extreme as dealing with giant monsters. But Settsu admitted that he had an entire perspective change, just by one chance encounter with Juza all those weeks ago.

Taichi found a home. And Juza... he's on the road to changing himself for the better. Without the company, he's sure he'd be stuck in his cycle of aversion and regret.]

I think you're right.

[This time, he hands the empty battery over. The same caramel-haired teenager is there, but this time he's got something to say.]

[lucubrates]

[ continued here! ]